The hiring of a consultant to conduct a preservation assessment for a collection comprising over 4,700 boxes of archival materials and more than 4,300 rare books and newspapers documenting the history of Tuolumne County in north-central California. These sources support research on the mid-19th century Gold Rush and its aftermath and include records pertaining to law and justice, social entertainment, and the impact of gold mining on natural resources. The collection also contains primary and secondary source material on the history of California's mining, logging, and film industries; the establishment of railroads and highways; and African American and Latino community experiences.

The grant would fully cover the cost of a consultant to conduct a general preservation assessment of our Archive’s historical collection. This professional assessment will provide recommendations in three areas: a)short-term recommendations on remedial improvements to storage, including equipment and conditions; b) long-term improvements to storage conditions, including storage and other equipment necessary to support the recommendations; and c) integrating the preservation needs of the collection into the planning of the collection’s activities and overall strategic planning of the Archive.